nelson mandela lived for that ideal and he made it real. he achieved more than could be expected of any man. today he has gone home and we've lost one of the most influential, courageous an profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this earth. he no longer belongs to us. he belongs to the ages. through his fierce dignity and unbending will, to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, madiba transformed south africa and moved all of us, his journey from a prisoner to a president embodied the promise that human beings and countries can change for the better. his commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who jailed him sent an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives. the fact that he did it all with grace, and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections makes the man that much more remarkable. as he once said, i'm not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying. i am one of the countless m